FOUND MURDERED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8065, 5 October 1887, Page 5

FOUND MURDERED.

A FOREIGNER STABBED TO DEATH.

THE END OF A QUARREL.

A COURAGEOUS ARREST.

[BY TELEGRAPH.PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

Ciihistohurch, Tuesday. About ten o\)lock last night a murder was committed at Little Kiver, on the verandah of Lake Forsyth Ar.ms Hotel.

A SONG, A DRINK, A QUARREL. Three Russian Finns, working at Coop's Sawmill, went to the hotel about nine o'clock. They came in and stood there while a song was being sung, and then all three men wont into the diningrooni, where they had some refreshment by themselves. Two of the men had words. The men's names are Mat Johansen, Nils Jaoobsan, and Andrew Haytnan. After a time, however, the quarrel seemed to cease, George Robinson, half-caste, having gone into paoify them. They went out together at ten minutes to ten by the front dOor on to the verandah. THE DI3COVEKY. A short time afterwards a man named Leon, on going out, saw a man lying on the verandah, as he thought, dead drunk, and a big Finn, Jacohsen, standing a short distance off, ready for going away. Leon spoke to him, saying it was not right to leave his mate there drunk. The Finn replied in his own tongue, as Leon understood him, to mean to the effeCG that his mate was all right where he was. Leon went inside, bat shortly afterwards went out again with a man named Ray and a lad named Hiokens. Hickens lighted a match and looked at the supposed drunken man, and holding the light to his face noticed it was ghastly white ; then they noticed blood on his clothes, and looking further, they found the clothes were in places saturated with blood from dreadful stabs, one of which appeared to be right in the heart, and the other in the abdomen. PLUCKY CONDUCT. They gave the alarm, and when it was ascertained that the man was dead George Robinson saddled bis horse, and started in pursuit of the big Finn, and overtook him some 400 yards from the hotel, He went up to him with a bottle, saying, " Mate have a drink," threw the man quickly, being afraid of his knife, and bound him with a strap. The others earning up he was taken to the lock-up. George Robinson meanwhile wei\t after the other Finn, whom he found between Goblin's store and Coop's mill. This man came back quietly, and they were both locked up. Nothing was found on them but some matches and tobacco. There was a little knife, quite incapable of giving the stabs, found on the smaller man, and there was a slight wound on the right hand of the bigger man, but this might have been caused by his falling on the ground. SENDING THE NEWS. It was at once decided to communicate with Akaroa. The telegraph office called Akaroa, but without avail, and then there was a difficulty about getting horses. It was getting on for three a.m. when young Kitchens got away with the news, and he reached Akaroa between six and seven a.m., and at once informed the police, who sent Constable Crockel off to the river. The body was left where it was till the arrival of the coustible. The inquest will be held at noon to-morrow.